LAS CRUCES – The New Mexico State football team wrapped up its annual spring football game on Saturday, April 19, at Aggie Memorial Stadium. The crimson team won the contest outscoring the white team 53-46.

The offense for the Aggies wore crimson while the defense wore white jerseys for the game.

NM State’s defense got the first eight points on the board after forcing the Aggies to punt on their first three possessions and getting two tackles for a loss.

The remainder of the quarter was dominated by the defense who led 14-5 at the end of the first quarter. The Aggies offense had a strong drive that led to senior Maxwell Johnson hitting a field goal to earn the crimson team three points.

In the second quarter, redshirt senior Clint Barnard was able to recover a fumble that boosted the defense even further with another six points. The offense quickly regrouped as sophomore quarterback Tyler Rogers led the team down the field and ended with a touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Joshua Bowen to bring the crimson team within seven points.

Rogers led the team down the field in the final minute of the first half, but an interception by sophomore safety Kawe Johnson put a stop to the last-minute drive and also gave the white team six more points. After the second quarter, the white team led 33-17.

The offense struggled to maintain their offensive drives in the third until redshirt freshman quarterback Barry Coffman led the team all the way down to the white’s three-yard line. The drive ended with a three-yard keeper for Coffman that brought the crimson team to within five points.

Junior cornerback Kedeem Thomas-Davis got the fourth quarter started with a huge interception for the white team that put an abrupt stop to crimson’s drive and also gave the defense six more points, extending their lead to 45-35 with 11:55 left in the game.

Coffman got the Aggie offense going again as he led the team into defensive territory, but this time he relied on his arm to get the job done as he connected with redshirt sophomore Teldrick Morgan for a 26-yard touchdown pass to get crimson within two points with 9:11 left in the game.

Rogers took the crimson team all the way down to the white’s one yard line where sophomore running back Xavier Hall punched the ball in for a touchdown. This score gave the crimson team their first lead of the game and after the extra point they led 52-45 with 3:48 remaining in the game.

Hall’s touchdown would prove to be the final big score of the game. Sophomore running back Terrance Yelder did break out for a rush that went beyond 12 yards, which gave the crimson team one more point, sealing their come-from-behind victory 53-46.

The Aggies open the 2014 season at home on Thursday, Aug. 28 against Cal-Poly inside Aggie Memorial Stadium.

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